


at the end of time

by godlymoss



Series: everything at the end [1]
Category: The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: ......yeah, Death to the Mechanisms Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:48:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godlymoss/pseuds/godlymoss
Relationships: Ashes O'Reilly/Ulysses (Ulysses Dies At Dawn)
Series: everything at the end [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184735
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	at the end of time

Ashes O'Reilly stood on an asteroid, swaying on their feet.

It's the end. The end of everything. 

The others are gone. 

Brian, cast himself into the void. Jonny stabbed through the heart, laughing all the while. Ivy burned. Marius devoured. So on and so forth. 

Ashes is all that's left.

And here they are, watching through a drunken haze as the last of the stars burst into stardust, collapsing into themselves only to be swallowed by the endless black. 

Ashes watched pensively as it all went dark, gripping the last gas can in their hand and the cigar between their teeth. 

The last star blinked out.

This is it.

The smell of gasoline permeated what remained of the "air", a momentary comfort as they emptied the final can at their feet. 

They dropped it with a clang, then reached into their coat. 

And produced a matchbox. 

Ashes drew from it a single match, striking it against the side. They gazed into the small flame for a moment, the final point of light in the universe, and lit their cigar.

They took a long drag, feeling their mechanical lungs hitch, stalling for a moment as they inhaled.

Ashes sighed.

They could see the smoke float into the dark ahead of them, lit by the dim orange light of the cigar. 

A song plays faintly in their head as they take another pull. 

_"Elysian Fields stretch out before me…"_

Their voice doesn't echo, stopped short by the emptiness of everything. 

Blue eyes flash in their mind as the match in their hand burns down, using up what remains of the oxygen in the universe. 

_"Sunlight dapples through the leaves of the sole surviving oak tree, as I wait for my release…"_

Their breath hitches again. 

_"Lying here among the flowers, I can rest my weary bones."_

They feel heavy, tired. 

It's been so very long...

"...Guess now I know how it feels, huh Ulysses?"

They drop the match. 

And that's how it all ends. In a brilliant flash of fire, same as it started.

And for that moment, Ashes O'Reilly is the single brightest thing in the universe.


End file.
